


Food For Thought

by AmuletRebel



Series: Yurileth Week 2020 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F!Byleth, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I'm so weak for bonding over good food!, No Beta, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip, Romance, Yurileth Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24241165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmuletRebel/pseuds/AmuletRebel
Summary: The Ashen Demon did smile, just not often. When she did, that tiny upward tilt of her lips was pretty cute. She just needed a reason to smile to actually do it. She smiled proudly when she praised her students during her lectures. She smiled gently when she comforted someone in pain. One of her biggest smiles showed itself the few times she fished with her father at the pond. Anyone could see her happiness from the dining hall, watching her reel in a big catch and her cheeks turn pink when her hair got ruffled as congratulations.But what she smiled the most about, he learned, was food.
Relationships: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc & My Unit | Byleth, Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Yurileth Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1749703
Comments: 5
Kudos: 66





	Food For Thought

**Author's Note:**

> Yurileth Week 2020 Prompt: Smiles

It went without saying that Byleth Eisner rarely smiled. She always had a calm, composed demeanor about her, effortlessly gliding around Garreg Mach without so much as a tiny little twitch. Yuri had been able to observe the Ashen Demon for himself once he was allowed on the surface, all thanks to Byleth recruiting him and the Ashen Wolves. It was definitely an interesting affair.

The Ashen Demon, cold and without remorse. He learned that wasn’t true. She did smile, just not often. But when she did, that tiny upward tilt of her lips was pretty cute. Byleth just needed a reason to smile to actually do it. She smiled proudly when she praised her students during her lectures, the curl of her lips very distinct since they stood pretty close. She smiled gently when she sat with someone in pain, being a comforting and warm presence. One of her biggest smiles showed itself the few times she fished with her father at the pond. Anyone could see her happiness from the dining hall, watching her reel in a big catch and her cheeks turn pink when her hair got ruffled as congratulations.

But what she smiled the most about, he learned, was food.

Yuri took a trip to the dining hall to grab some lunch—he was ecstatic to get access to all the good food again—having a decent helping to tide him over for a while. When he turned to find a seat, he noticed the lovely Professor setting her food down. It wasn’t too crowded, so there was plenty of space around here.

“Always a joy to see you, friend,” Yuri said once he made his way over, taking the spot right across from her.

She looked up from her Grilled Herring and gave him a nod. “Hello Yuri,” she greeted. She didn’t say much else. Then he noticed how eagerly she grabbed her fork and started digging into the fish’s cooked flesh. He looked down and poked at his own Vegetable Stir-Fry, taking a few bites. But as soon as he looked up, the fork he was holding slipped from his grip and clattered onto the table. Byleth munched on her fish, utter delight radiating from her. And that smile on her face was so wide and bright, it was like a piece of the sun was right in front of him.  _ Fuck, that was sappy _ .

When her gaze returned to him, the wide smile never fading, he subtly scrambled to pick his fork back up like he meant to put it down. He chuckled and picked at his food before pointing at her with the fork packed with stir fry. “Wow, friend. I didn’t know you could smile like that. That just tells me you love to eat.”

The smile finally faded when she swallowed. She stared at Yuri with her intense blue gaze and he refused to so much as fidget under it. Then, as if it didn’t have any hidden meaning to it—the innocence in her gaze told him she  _ definitely _ didn’t see anything wrong with it—she leaned forward and ate the food off his fork. She leaned back, chewing it while that smile returned so easily.

“Yeah,” she replied. “I do.”

Call him strange or mushy, but he liked that smile of hers. And if food was going to make it happen again, then he felt once again blessed by that lucky star that he was quite an excellent cook. It was a talent he prided himself in.

Yuri was using the kitchen when Byleth entered the dining hall. He noticed her out of the corner of his eye and threw a quick hand up in greeting. He had to stay focused at the moment, not wanting his creation to blow up. So, he remained vigilant while tuning in to the sounds around him. Luckily, Byleth moved into his range of vision and watched him from the other side of the counter.

“I didn’t know you did kitchen duty,” she commented, starting at the pot he was using.

“That’s because I’m not,” Yuri quickly retorted with a smirk. “I’m just doing this for myself.”

The teal-haired woman tilted her head, blinking once as confusion settled in. “What are you making then?”

Perfect. “Well, why don’t you guess for yourself?”

He gracefully took a ladle and scooped the contents of the pot into a ceramic bowl. Then, he placed it on the counter and slid it and a spoon her way with a small nudge of his fingers. Almost immediately, her eyes lit up with wonder. It was stew, that much was obviously. But she hadn’t seen such a thing served in the dining hall. A different recipe perhaps? She took a big breath in to take in the mouthwatering smell. Yuri watched with his arms crossed, seeing her blow on the spoon once it was on the spoon and plop it into her mouth. And his heart almost stopped when that smile graced her face, wide and content.

“This is delicious!” Byleth exclaimed in a rare moment of expressiveness. Taking no more regard for temperature, she excitedly scooped spoonful after spoonful into her mouth. The bowl quickly drained as she devoured her meal. And in a matter of minutes, she was left slurping up the broth from the bowl before setting it back down on the counter. Her smile hadn’t left yet. “Thank you, Yuri. What was that, by the way? It tasted a little like Daphnel Stew but more…adventurous?” She couldn’t find the right word to describe it.

The Abyssian laughed and leaned closer to her. “That’s high praise, I must say. But you’re right. I did create my own little spin on the famous stew. Tried a few new spices and vegetables and this is what I eventually made.”

“I hope you’ll make it again.”

“For you, friend? Anytime.” He liked it when he made her smile so wide and bright.

* * *

They had recently won the Battle of the Eagle and Lion next time they ate together. All three houses had gotten together for a “grand” feast in the dining hall. And he would’ve declined had he not passed Byleth on the field and seen the spark in her gaze at the prospect of eating as much food as she wanted.

He laughed in amusement when Byleth got up and went for some Peach Sorbet after just scarfing down a third helping of Saut é ed Jerky. Meanwhile, he was full after just one plate. For a petite lady such as herself, he’s impressed she hadn’t exploded yet.

“You sure know how to eat, friend,” he said above the noise in the room. People chatted away about victories, training regimens, and promises to win next time. But he wasn’t focused on that.

Byleth, her smile still radiant as she enjoyed her sorbet, nodded her head. “So I’ve been told.”

“It’s impressive how you take that comment in stride.” Normal women would get upset, assuming they were being called fat before delivering a clich é slap across the face. But Byleth wasn’t a normal woman. In a good way, of course. Yuri leaned her elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand. He closed his eyes for a moment, contemplating. “It’s nice to see you all happy. Honestly, when we first met down in Abyss, I thought you were either not good at socializing or just completely numb to everything.”

“I’m glad I could change your mind.”

“I have to admit you sure–” But when he opened his eyes, the words died on his tongue. That sweet, endearing smile was directed at him. Her dessert was already finished. And her vast blue eyes were staring directly at him. “And I'm glad you keep surprising me.”

* * *

The next time he was able to cook for her was…less than ideal. He never expected it to happen, much less be there to witness it. Byleth hadn’t come out of her room in days, locked up tight to mourn her father’s passing. Just the image of her crying in the rain, cradling her dying father in her arms until he breathed his last, still left a hole in his gut. But someone needed to be there for her. Someone needed to show they cared instead of just leaving her to despair alone. To hell with giving her space.

Yuri tried out something new in the kitchen, shifting between cooking and thinking. He still had his dear mom. He didn’t know his father, though he’d be damned if he ever even tried to know. He stood outside her door, holding a plate of freshly cooked bear meat, and knocked a few times. The response wasn’t immediate.

“It’s just me, friend,” he said, hoping deep inside that maybe if she knew who it was, she’d answer.

Sure enough, she did. But it wasn’t a sight he was extremely happy to see. Through the crack in the door, he noticed the dark circles under puffy red eyes. There were still stains from her tears still on her pale cheeks. Her usually messy teal hair was even more unkempt, sticking out and slick with grease. When was the last time she bathed?

He didn’t even try smiling. She didn’t need pity right now. “I cooked you a little something,” he simply said, holding the plate out to her.

She glanced down at it for a moment, and it ached to see the smile that would usually grace her lips when looking at good food completely absent. Then she looked back up at him, her neutral mask slipping into place. Like all the progress she made to feel things was just wiped clean. “I’m not hungry.”

“You are,” he insisted, putting his free hand on the door so she couldn’t close it on him. “You haven’t eaten in a while, so…just… At least let me in?”

“…Okay.”

The door opened more, enough for Yuri to slip in. Her room was still neat, exactly the same as when he’d first seen it. The door was always wide open, after all. He set the food down on her little table, where she’d sometimes have tea parties with students she felt relatively close to. Himself included.

“I hope you realize I’m not leaving till I see you eat.” It’s not that he didn’t trust her. But he could guess that she’d just poke at her food and take a few bites before claiming to be full. And she needed to keep her strength up. Not just for expected situations, but just to survive.

The Abyssian observed his professor as she slowly trudged over to the table and sat down, clutching the blanket wrapped around her frame tightly. He sat when she did. Sticking one hand out of the cocoon, Byleth picked up the fork and tore through the tender meat before slowly chewing on it. But as soon as she did, tears began trailing from her eyes.

Yuri sat there, shocked. Of course, he knew she’d been crying. But to actually bear witness to it was… She still chewed and swallowed that first bite through her tears. Lifting one arm, she turned away to wipe her tears with her arm.

“I apologize,” she said, “that you have to see me like this. I’m your Professor and yet–”

“Hey now, enough of that.” He reached over the table, taking her chin and turning her towards him. “I get it. Jeralt raised you. He was all you had. And when a parent dies, well, it really leaves a mark. It’s okay to feel what you need to. Doesn’t matter how that looks.” As he stared at her, he noticed her eyes slowly become less glassy. Like she was really looking at him again. “But I’ve seen you. I know you better. You have this inner fire. And it’ll keep you going through the hardest of times.”

Once again, he was left captivated. A tiny smile made its way onto her face, even though the tears kept coming. “Thank you.”

“No problem, friend. Now finish up, yeah?”

* * *

Five years. That was the last time he saw her. It was a bit unreal, especially looking at her now. She still looked exactly the same as back then. Even the same clothes. It was almost like they were enjoying their academy days again, sitting across from each other as they ate their meals.

“You’re more expressive,” he commented, resting his elbow on the table. Observing her. He enjoyed those shifts in her expressions just as he had when they first met.

Byleth looked at him and nodded, her delighted smile still in place. “I guess I am. By the way, did you cook this?”

Yuri blinked in surprise. Byleth wasn’t around when he was helping in the kitchen. “Oh? How do you figure?”

She took a moment, tapping her finger to her chin. “I guess it’s the flavor. From what you’ve cooked before, there’s this special blend of spices you use on meat and fish.” She gestured to her Pickled Rabbit Skewers, not breaking eye contact. “I’m happy I at least remember what food made by the great Yuri Leclerc tastes like.” The giggle that escaped her mouth was soft but very much coherent.

He could feel his cheeks heat up at the rare teasing that came from her. It made him think more about the possible future, given they both survived this war. It didn’t occur to him just how much he wanted that future until now. Seeing her smile and laugh with him gave him a shot of pure joy. “Well, friend. Hopefully you’ll never have to forget.”

* * *

Yuri walked into the Archbishop’s office, carefully balancing two bowls of his freshly made Onion Gratin Soup. He spotted the lovely new Archbishop at her desk, diligently looking over her documents as usual. “I brought lunch,” he announced, making his way over to place the food down.

“Finally,” Byleth sighed happily and pushed away the papers to make space to eat.

“I thought my dearest wife would enjoy her husband’s homemade cooking.”

She giggled behind her hand, pushing one bowl of soup closer to her. “She very much would.” Stirring the spoon in the bowl to help cool it off, she looked up at him. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of whatever you made.” As if to emphasize that, Byleth greedily took a spoonful of soup and slurped it.

Now standing at her side, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her lips. “Good to know.” He smiled back at her, the happiness welling up in his gut warmer than the sunlight beaming through the stained glass behind them.

**Author's Note:**

> It's Yurileth Week! Okay, it's been Yurileth Week for a while. But I just got out of school so now I can play catch-up. I have my ideas already written down and ready to go.  
> I'll probably make a NSFW collection too because I love this ship just that much.
> 
> Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/AmuletRebel) or [Tumblr](https://amuletrebel.tumblr.com/) if you wanna stay updated or see me reblog just a butt ton of Fire Emblem art. My handle is pretty much the same everywhere so it's not that hard to find me.


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